Critical Analysis of the Rhetoric of Child Sexual Abuse

The foundation of this analysis is that child sexual abuse is a form of communication that stems from, and perpetuates, the power hierarchy of the social structure. The study asks the questions: What do the stories of survivors and perpetrators tell us about the nature of child sexual abuse? What do these stories tell us about the power relations between the survivors and perpetrators as well as the society that breeds sexual abuse. It identifies rhetorical strategies and uses them to identify patterns in the discourse of survivors and abusers. The ultimate goal is to analyze the discourse surrounding sexual abuse in an attempt to shift the rhetorical emphasis from misunderstanding and blame to understanding and affirmation.